Mason archie
Mason Archie is considered one of the foremost contemporary oil painters of his generation, often working in the traditional old master style of painting, reminiscent of a 19th-century painter. Best known for his landscapes, Archie’s work blends impressionism and realism with a more vibrant and contemporary palate. These picturesque landscapes capture nature's serene, luminous quality at the edges of daylight. Archie’s enchanting images encourage viewers to think about this “brilliant light,” the way it glows, its warmth, and its reflection. Archie’s ability to combine traditional and realistic styles creates artworks that feel natural to the viewer yet depict critical aspects of African American history.
Our most recent collaborations with Archie were greatly influenced by the artist’s exploration into the history of quilts as mnemonic devices for guiding enslaved people to freedom along the Underground Railroad. According to legend, a safe house along the Underground Railroad was often indicated by a quilt hanging from a clothesline or windowsill. These quilts were embedded with a code that allowed an enslaved person to know an area’s immediate dangers or where to head next along the railroad by reading the shapes and motifs sewn into the design. These prints are inspired by Archie’s Quilt Code Series for the Underground Railroad Museum, an examination of the importance of this mode of communication in African American history.
Born and raised in Dayton, OH, Archie’s natural talent for art emerged early as local teachers recognized his considerable talents and put him to work drawing diagrams for class or painting backdrops for school plays. Acceptance into a prestigious high school, Patterson Co-Op, changed the course of Archie’s life, catapulting him into success in pictorial art and outdoor advertising. Patterson Co-Op was a unique public school in which students had to apply to go there and were required to maintain good grades and attendance records while studying the fields they were most interested in, like art and design. Before even graduating from the prestigious school, Archie began working for Lamar Advertising Company at sixteen.
After graduating, Archie began working full-time for Lamar, eventually becoming the youngest art director the company would have. At this time, Archie also started his own small commercial sign company and specialized in graphic design. Although art was a primary interest for young Archie, he did not begin working as a full-time artist until he was in his forties. Archie later founded Kindred Spirits, an inclusive space where disenfranchised youth could create, learn computer graphics, gain financial literacy, and access art education and exposure. His sought-after landscapes can be found in private corporate collections such as Wells Fargo Bank, Eli Lilly, and Nationwide Insurance.